Jefferson
|largest_city = capital |official_languages = |demonym = Jeffersonian |membership = |government_type = |leader_title1 = President |leader_name1 = Michael Johnston (P) |leader_title2 = Vice President |leader_name2 = Diana DeGette (P) |leader_title3 = Speaker of the General Assembly |leader_name3 = Jane Norton (NC) |legislature = General Assembly of Jefferson ( ) |upper_house = |lower_house = |sovereignty_type = Independence from the |established_event1 = Establishment of the |established_date1 = August 24, 1859 |established_event2 = |established_date2 = April 12, 1861 |established_event3 = |established_date3 = April 14, 1865 |established_event4 = Declaration of Jeffersonian Independence |established_date4 = November 24, 1865 |established_event5 = Ratification of the Constitution of Jefferson |established_date5 = January 2, 1866 |area_rank = 76th |area_km2 = 269,837 |area_sq_mi = 104,094 |population_estimate = 5,456,574 |population_estimate_rank = 115th |population_estimate_year = 2016 |population_census = |population_census_rank = |population_census_year = |population_density_km2 = 19.9 |population_density_sq_mi = 52.0 |population_density_rank = 198th |GDP_PPP = $328 billion |GDP_PPP_rank = 50th |GDP_PPP_year = 2016 |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $60,111 |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 12th |GDP_nominal = $318,600 million |GDP_nominal_rank = 34th |GDP_nominal_year = 2016 |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $58,388 |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 6th |Gini = 0.457 |Gini_rank = 33rd |Gini_year = 2016 |Gini_category = ( ) |HDI = 0.921 |HDI_rank = 6th |HDI_category = ( ) |currency = Jeffersonian dollar ($) |currency_code = |time_zone = Mountain |DST_note = |drives_on = right |cctld = .jf |calling_code = +1 303 }} The Republic of Jefferson, commonly known as Jefferson, is a sovereign state in . It borders Sierra to the west, Texas to the south, and Missouri to the east. Jefferson is a divided into 7 districts. The current government was established when the declared its independence from the fragmented United States after the and the . The executive branch is lead by the President of Jefferson, who serves as both and . The General Assembly of Jefferson is a unicameral legislature, with representation for each district based on population. Jefferson was originally inhabited by , such as the , and the , , and tribes. The gained the northeastern part of the territory that is now Jefferson in the in 1803. In 1848, in the , which ended the , the United States gained the rest of Jefferson. In 1859, settlers declared the Territory of Jefferson, however the federal government did not recognize the territory. Jefferson remained loyal to the Union during the American Civil War, but, after the collapse of the United States after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the territory decided to remain neutral in the resulting War of Contingency, and, in 1865, declared itself independent. Jefferson ratified its Constitution in 1866. Jefferson's economy was mainly fueled by mining and agriculture up until the second half of the 20th century. Jefferson maintained a policy of neutrality for much of its history. However, it entered on the side of the . Jefferson suffered greatly during the and the , however, expansive reforms rejuvenated the economy. Jefferson, while providing aid to the , remained neutral during , but has become more involved on the world stage. Jefferson is a member of the Conference of American States and the League of Nations, however, recently there has been some support for Ameroskeptic movements to decrease or end Jefferson's involvement in these organizations. Jefferson is considered to have a economy. Jefferson has a low but a higher and low . Jefferson has strong and industries, along with its once dominant industry. Jefferson also has a growing industry. Etymology The name Jefferson was originally chosen for Jefferson's predecessor, the Territory of Jefferson, in 1859, prior to the territory's establishment on October 24, by a convention in . The name was chosen in honor of , the third , who authorized the in 1803, which included part of the territory that is now Jefferson. In 1865, once the Territorial Legislature had resolved to establish an independent nation, various proposals for a new name were put forward, including Colorado, Lincoln, in honor of the late United States president, Montana, and Rocosa, however, the Legislature voted to keep the territorial name, declaring that the new nation would officially be called the Republic of Jefferson. History Pre-Columbian era Jefferson was inhabited by Native American as early as 13,000 years ago. Tribes of pre-colonial Jefferson include the Ancestral Puebloans, and the Ute, Shoshone, and Comanche nations. The Apache, Arapaho, and Cheyenne nations originally inhabited the , and later migrated to the area that is now Jefferson. European colonization The first Europeans to explore the region were . In 1598, established the of . The Spanish settlers established trade with the Native Americans. With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the United States acquired a large area of land including the eastern part of the territory of Jefferson, also partially claimed by . led an to the in this disputed area, but were arrested and expelled by Spanish cavalry. In 1819, the United States ceded its claims to lands south and west of the to Spain in the . The United States' recognition of Texas after the in 1835 created tensions with Mexico, resulting in the Mexican–American War in 1846. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the war and granted part of the territory of Jefferson to the United States. The established the and the , and in 1854 the and the were created. In July 1858, gold was discovered in the western part of the Kansas Territory, in what is now central Jefferson, sparking a and leading to the birth of the Jeffersonian mining industry. Independence In April 1859, a convention met in Auraria to consider the need for a local government, and the name Jefferson was chosen. A constitutional convention was scheduled for June 6, and was then adjourned until August 1. The proposal for statehood was rejected in a referendum on September 24, in favor of establishing a territory, due to Congressional funding of territories. On October 3, a convention drafted a provisional constitution for the territory, and on October 24, an election approved the constitution with 86.9% of the vote. However, this government was not approved by . The new territory remained loyal to the and was not involved in the . From 1863 to 1865, the territory fought against a loose alliance of Native American tribes in the . Later, this war would be condemned for its genocidal brutality, such as in the infamous . The assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865 led to the outbreak of the War of Contingency between numerous groups of states. On April 18, the Territorial Legislature met to decide on Jefferson's allegiance in the conflict. Various opinions existed, including proposals to join Sierra, Texas, and Missouri, along with independence. Independence soon became the dominant proposal, due in part to Jefferson's already existing extra-legal territorial government and its wealth in natural resources, mainly . On August 11, the legislature adopted the Declaration of Neutrality, affirming that Jefferson would remain unaffiliated during the war. Jefferson declared its independence from the defunct United States on November 24 and established a provisional government. A constitution was proposed on December 10, and it was ratified on January 2, 1866.